Massena town board allocates first allotment of gaming compact $

MASSENA - With a check for $88,240.81 waiting for the town of Massena, town board members accepted a plan Wednesday on how to spend that money - something that they had to do before actually receiving the check.

The board voted to submit a plan calling for the check to be divided between five causes, although the money wasnt allocated without discussion on the matter.

Town Supervisor Joseph D. Gray proposed giving $15,000 to the Business Development Corporation, to help offset the $30,000 they had promised to the organization, but were unable to provide for the current fiscal year.

Mr. Gray also proposed providing $6,000 to FISHCAP, $35,000 to emergency services, $20,000 to the Downtown Revitalization Committee, and allocating the remaining $8,240.81 for airport marketing.

The funds for emergency services will be split between the rescue squad and the fire department, with the rescue squad receiving the $1,400 it requested to purchase a Stokes basket, with the remainder of the money going to the fire department for radio upgrades and a new thermal imaging camera.

In regards to the airport marketing money Mr. Gray said, Primarily what Im look at is better signage.

Mr. Gray also said he would like to see the town partner with Cape Air for some marketing and possibly billboards that would promote both Cape Air and the Massena Airport, whether it be here or on the Canadian side.

The item though that garnered the most discussion was the funding for the Downtown Revitalization Committee.

Councilman Charles A. Chuck Raiti said he was a little leery of giving money to the committee after being approached for funding to put a fountain downtown.

Im hesitant for that reason. If thats what this is for, I would rather give that money to the people who were just here, he said, referring to the BDC, who requested some gaming compact funds to help finish a railroad project at its industrial park.

Mr. Gray assured Mr. Raiti that the money would not be used for a fountain.

They havent given me specifics, but we would ask for that before we gave them money, he said.

Councilman Thomas C. Miller said he wanted to know how much the village was contributing to the downtown revitalization effort.